ST. LOUIS (AP) — No St. Louis Cardinals player can be happier to have Carlos Beltran on their side than pitcher Kyle Lohse.
The new right fielder is a .564 career hitter against Lohse with four home runs, six doubles and 12 RBIs. Add in 11 walks and the switch-hitting Beltran has a stunning .647 on-base percentage.
Lohse, a 14-game winner last year, joked at the team’s Winter Warmup that Beltran was the greatest player in history.
The 34-year-old Beltran got a two-year, $26 million free agent deal after a strong comeback season with the Mets and Giants, rebounding from two injury-plagued years. The Beltran pickup helps the World Series champions move on from the loss of Albert Pujols.
The title team, minus Pujols, will be honored at the White House on Tuesday.
